At his globally inspired Proxi, chef Andrew Zimmerman dresses oysters with a compound butter made with the spicy Korean condiment known as ssamjang. Then he roasts them in a wood-fired oven just until the butter is bubbly and the bivalves are kissed with smoke. No wood oven? Fear not. He’s adapted the recipe for the broiler.
Andrew Zimmerman’s Broiled Oysters
Serves:6 to 8 (as an appetizer)
Total Time:40 minutes
Active Time:25 minutes
| ½ lb. | Unsalted butter, softened |
| 6 Tbsp. | Ssamjang (available at Mariano’s and on Amazon) |
| 16 | Large oysters (Delaware Bays are a good choice), scrubbed, shucked, and reserved on the half shell with juices |
| 4 Tbsp. | Panko breadcrumbs, lightly toasted in a dry skillet |
| 4 Tbsp. | Finely chopped chives |
| 1 | Lemon, quartered |
1. In a food processor, mix the butter and ssamjang until the ssamjang is fully incorporated. Scoop the butter into a quart-size ziplock bag, then seal it. And flatten the butter to a ¼-inch thickness. Chill until ready to use.
2. Heat the broiler and set the rack at the top position. Arrange the oysters on a sheet pan lined with crumpled foil. Nestle the oysters carefully into the foil.
3. Remove the chilled butter from the bag, cut it into pieces large enough to cover the meat of an oyster (about a tablespoon’s worth), and lay a piece over each oyster.
4. Broil the oysters until the butter bubbles, about 2 minutes.
5. Transfer the oysters to a plate from the broiler. Top each with a pinch of panko and chives and a squirt of lemon, and serve immediately.